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Monthly Archives: September 2014

The world has seemingly lost its moral sense of decency, love, care, and humanity. Murder, mayhem, destruction is an everyday common occurrence. Mothers against daughters, father against sons. The more gruesome, the more heinous, the more exposure, the more people garner attention to themselves. WHAT? Decapitation and cannibalism has become Internet entertainment.

ISIS, yeah we are hearing about your barbaric actions, supposedly in the name of Allah, but it is also the grandfather who lives a few miles away that murders his 6 grandchildren and daughter, the Cartel drug gangs that are fighting for territory and money. It’s the teenagers seeking to see what the real thing of killing feels like after being dulled by video images and games. It’s the demented co-worker influenced by what they see on television that seeks the same glory and exposure.

Proverbs 30:11-14

“There is a generation…” A foolhardy and foul generation (30:11). It is a generation that curses their father and mother. Now the word “curse” is not a meaning of “cussing them out” as in calling someone out of their name. No, the Hebrew term is means to discount, to bring to contempt, to dishonor, bring their influence to insignificance. The proverb is saying there will be a generation that will devalue the values of the forefathers and mothers. They will count them trivial. The father and mother is not necessarily someone’s immediate parents, because the scripture does not say “parent”. Let’s be honest some of our “parents” were far from being a Godly example and many of us had to overcome many obstacles despite our upbringing.

“There is a generation…” A filthy and faithless generation (30:12). This is a generation of people who are pure in their own eyes but morally filthy in the eyes of a Holy and Righteous God. Note, the scripture does not say “dirty” but filthy. The word here is used for “excrement”. Think dog poo! Great Dane poo not Yorky. Before we start condemning others let’s quickly look at ourselves, however. The prophet Isaiah in chapter 64 says “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags…” In other words even when we do everything right by human and mankind moral standards, to God they are as clean and pure as a woman’s menstrual pad or a baby’s dirty diaper. That is the reason for the GREAT exchange that took place on the cross. “Christ exchanged HIS righteousness for our sins. No, when God the Father looks at us as believers He sees us righteous THROUGH Christ Jesus. So if we think our works will some how earn merit in the eyes of God then we are members of this “F” group. Filthy! Their faith is in their own means and abilities. When one rejects Jesus, they reject the GREAT exchange leaving them to their own righteousness.

“There is a generation…” A fearless and self-flattering generation (30:13)”. It is a generation that has no respect for authority whether it comes from God or man. They are filled with pride, self-flattery and conceit. They think that their own ideology is the one they should govern their lives. The problem is that we all can have our own ideology. Then the question arises which one is “right”. And as we now see with ISIS, dictatorships and other oppressive groups, one tries to FORCE through fear, intimidation and violence the acceptance of rule. What they want, they take having no regard for human life. Deep inside the valley of their reasoning they see themselves as being superior. Mere men trying to rule as the supreme head over billions of people. I am always amazed by the so called experts that have a solution for everything yet are responsible for nothing within in the context of their “solution”. “If I were the President, I would”…. Yeah whatever. The simple truth is you are not the President, so you are just pontificating without accountability.

“There is a generation…” A fierce generation (30:14). A generation that has become dulled and addicted to murder and violence. Cannibalism, decapitation, rape and debauchery have become the norm. Nothing is shocking to us anymore. Zombies, walking dead, real life murder documentaries showing actual bodies have dulled our senses. We feed our society’s psyche this junk and wonder why we have reaped this strange bitter fruit. For the weak minded, it is a catalyst to explore the realm of evil. Do not be deceived this realm is real.

IT IS THIS GENERATION THAT WILL OCCUPY THIS EARTH JUST PRIOR TO CHRIST RETURN.

Matthew 24:37-39 – “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” What was significant in those days? Spiritual Decline, shameless depravity, demonic delusion, increase in crimes, exploding population and sudden destruction. All signs say we are living in the same vain as the “days of Noah”.

What are we “the followers of Christ” to do in this perilous time?

Do not fear, but stay strong with no possibility of quitting. Why… because He has overcome the world, even the condition of this time and generation. Psalm 91 implores us to decree, “I will not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day… and with my eyes I shall behold and see the reward of the wicked.” So let’s counter this “evil” generation and be the “fearless, fervent, faithful, formidable” children of the God of ALL victory. Let’s up our game and SPEAK and declare into the atmosphere the “flood of Noah”.

Like this:

Luke 23:34 – “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

I have been prompted through various indications to touch on the subject of forgiveness. First, this scripture was something I was hearing on last week when contiplating what to blog. Then by mere happenstance I was watching a movie with family that we randomly chose called “The Railway Man” (good movie) and the concluding theme and focus was forgiveness. To top that, we happened upon an estate sale on Saturday of this past weekend and my wife purchased some items that I went to pick up on Sunday. After obtaining the items, the man who was with the company conducting the sale walked out with me and began to talk about the goodness of our Lord. He had suffered a dibiltating injury and he was in some pain and discomfort physically but he was delighting in how the Father had bought him through the valleys of life. He and I had a conversation for about thirty minutes but near the end he described how his brother had stolen $350,000 from an inheritance he should have had. He said at the time of this incident eight years ago, he had given his life to Christ. He indicated I could be in prison at this moment if it was not for the words that Jesus implored from the cross. He said to me, I heard in my spirit, “forgive them; for they know not what they do .” Now you must understand I had not discussed ANYTHING about that scripture with him but it was to me confirmation to touch on this subject.

The first question that comes to my mind is who is the “THEM”? This request seems to be nondescript, plain, indistinct. “Father, forgive them.” He does not say, Father, forgive the priest that rendered false accusation. He does not say, Father, forgive the soldiers who have nailed me to this cross. Neither does He say, Father, forgive my disciples who have seemingly forsaken me. From His lofty position on the cross seeing the distant future He does not say Father, forgive those who will in the ages to come l turn their back to me and reject your sacrifice and sin against You, yet with those ten words He includes them. He does not mention a specific accusation or accuse a specific person, race, culture or group. Even though He being God knew the names of the soldiers that nailed Him to the cross He does not mention their names for prosterity to ridicule throughout the ages. AND no, He is not willing to mention their descriptive mission saying, forgive my murderers. There are no words of specific and directed accusation, only “Father, forgive them.”

Again, who is the THEM? Because it is not descriptive we can be included. He made room for us, too. I know the tendancy is to think that the “them” is the Roman soldiers and Jewish priests and the Roman government and it was, but it was also you and me. “For they know not what they do”. They think they know but they do not.

I am glad that He made it possible for me to live under the umbrella of the Father’s forgiveness that covers my purposefull and ignorant actions that documents my guilt and reveals my “filthy righteousness”. Yet we do not know the shallowness of our self-righteousness. We think, because we go to church regularly, or we were christened or were baptized or say our prayers or read a chapter in the Bible every day; that we do not merit His forgiveness. We think our religiousness outward performances, makes us exempt from His forgiveness but I still hear Him saying “They know not what they do.” They are trusting in their own actions and performance thereby negating my redemptive work through the cross.

The timing of the prayer is intriging also. It is in the midst of His pain, His humiliate His ultimate challenge that He petitions for “us” requesting our sanctuary, the Father’s forgiveness. Would that be our request or would it be “get them” Father.. look at what they are doing to me? Today what is our prayer for those who are terrorizing this world today. ISIS, brutally murdering innocent people of all cultures.. what is our prayer? Abusers, both governmental and domestic, viciously beating those we should be protecting, what is our prayer? Those who are being abused, tortured, and victimized in ALL countries by ALL tribes, nations,races and cultures. What is our prayer? Father, thank you for your undeserved forgiveness towards us, because we still do not realize what we do and how short we come to Your GLORY!! The heart of religion seeks and desires to control other men, cultures and nations. Jesus wants to set men free to live through Him, free, whole and forgiven. Oh how He loves us…

The real take away is also realizing IF we say the same petition it will release us to live life and not be painfully chained to the wrong visited upon us. I pray this was a highlighted message even if for just one person.